News from Johann Sebastian Bach

Pieter Dirksen approaches the reconstruction of a trio sonata, the final version of which has come down to us as the Organ Trio Sonata in E minor BWV 528, with meticulousness and an analytical mind. He notes that this sonata is the "simplest case" of all organ sonatas, none of which can be regarded as original compositions, but rather as arrangements of pre-existing instrumental movements. It is to be hoped that the arranger will not lose heart and also take on the more complex challenges of the other five sonatas, as the present result of Sonata No. 5 can be described as extremely successful.

Thanks to its generous part material, the edition offers various performance possibilities, the most important of which are those in G minor (with oboe) and E minor (with the oboe d'amore transposing a third). Historically based on various sources, a French oboe (a=392Hz, playing in G minor) and viola da gamba/basso continuo in the church key (a=465Hz, playing in E minor) could also be played together, which according to today's custom (a=440Hz) would lead to a sounding result in F minor ... With all due respect for Dirksen's meticulous research, it is recommended that after studying the other versions (and the informative reconstruction report!), we recommend trying out alternative octaves and ornamentations here and there and then finding your own solutions.

Two arrangements for wind quintet offer a completely different view of Bach, an instrumentation invention of the late Classical period and therefore, it seems, not predestined for Baroque music. The selection of the Prelude and Fugue a 5 voci (B flat minor BWV 867) from the Well-Tempered Clavier proves to be successful, however, as the polyphony and dialogizing form of the composition is enriched by a new component, that of tonal variation, and thus contributes to the comprehensibility of the music. The arranger Christian Vitalis refrains from giving any indications regarding articulation and dynamics; here a differentiating ensemble work is necessary. For minor adjustments in voice leading and thematic completeness, the study of the original is also expressly recommended. In the other work, Prelude and Fugue in G minor BWV 885, the arrangement does not bring the same benefit, because the original four-part writing is not always successfully translated to the five instruments. The presentation of a concise dramaturgy of the work suffers from an often seemingly arbitrary back and forth between flute and oboe. We can only hope for further arrangements of five-part works from Bach's cycle, as these could represent a real enrichment of the repertoire.

Johann Sebastian Bach, Trio Sonata for oboe (oboe d'amore), viola (viola da gamba) and basso continuo after BWV 76/8 and 528, reconstructed by Pieter Dirksen, KM 2306, € 18.50, Breitkopf & Härtel

id., Prelude and Fugue in B flat minor BWV 867, (Well-tempered Clavier I), arranged for wind quintet by Christian Vitalis, E.D. 11287, € 15.80, Edition Dohr, Cologne 

id., Prelude and Fugue in G minor BWV 885, (Well-tempered Clavier II), E.D. 11288, € 17.80